Seasonal affective disorder: How winter can give you the blues

By Erin Van Der Meer| 2 years ago

It’s rare in Australia, but the reduced sunlight in winter can affect your mood.

Seasonal affective disorder (appropriately shortened to SAD) is a condition supported by 30 years of research that shows some people will experience depression during winter due to being exposed to less sunlight.

So a recent US study from Auburn University in Montgomery, Alabama ruffled some lab coats in the academic community when it claimed SAD is basically not a thing.

The research assessed data collected from an annual phone survey of around 235,000 Americans and found people who took the survey during winter did not report higher instances of depression.

Steven Lobello, one of the study’s authors, believes a lot of research into SAD has been flawed, as he explained to Coach.

“There’s a widespread perception that winter is linked to depression, so when you ask people ‘Do you get depressed in winter?’ they’re inclined to agree. Or if you ask if they get depressed in a particular season, they’re more likely to say winter,” Lobello argues.

“The way the data we analysed was collected, people weren’t asked about seasons at all. In research where people have been asked a leading question you find [SAD], and when you take that leading question out you’re less likely to find it.”

The study findings are plausible, especially in this internet age when googling any symptom pretty much leads to a self-diagnosis of some horrible illness.

But there is a possible explanation for why SAD didn’t show up in the research, especially in a study on such a large scale –it’s very rare.

“Winter depression is only experienced by 1 to 2 percent of the population,” Kelly Rohan, a clinical psychologist from the University of Vermont tells Coach.

Rohan says SAD is experienced on a spectrum where most people fall in the middle, and the symptoms are not severe.

“You might have less energy, your food preferences may change, usually craving more carbohydrates, you might sleep a bit more, or feel less social.”

But for the 1 to 2 percent who experience full-blown depression, it’s far worse.

“If the symptoms are affecting your ability to function at work, in your relationships, to keep up your everyday activities or enjoy your interests, if you’re feeling hopeless, having thoughts of death or suicide, you need to seek an evaluation from a qualified mental health professional,” Rohan advises.

Thankfully, there are treatments that have proven to be extremely effective in treating SAD.

Light therapy works by positioning yourself near a box that emits artificial light which is received by receptors in the eyes, triggering a serotonin release, encouraging natural sleep cycles and a general feeling of wellbeing.

A doctor may recommend using a light therapy box from 20 to 60 minutes a day – seek medical advice before using it.

In her own research Rohan has found CBT, where a sufferer works with a psychologist to change negative thought patterns, to be the most effective treatment for SAD long-term, with patients experiencing fewer relapses after undergoing CBT.

“Light therapy and anti-depressants are palliative treatments — they only suppress the symptoms and have to be continued over time.”

But Australians have less reason to be concerned about SAD than in North America, where a lot of the research into the condition is being done. Professor Michael Baigent, a clinical academic psychiatrist from Flinders University in Adelaide, says SAD occurs mainly in countries at higher latitudes, such as parts of North America, Canada, Northern Europe and Scandinavia.

“Australia has high levels of bright light, so even on the cloudiest day in winter, you only need 20-30 minutes of daylight exposure to prevent [SAD], if you were predisposed to get this condition,” Baigent tells Coach.

“Most people would get enough on their way to work or hanging out the washing. It is possible for SAD to occur amongst night shift workers or someone in a confined space like a nursing home or hospital, but it is generally not something that we see clinically very often.”

Still, if you experience depression in winter or your depression worsens during the cold months, see you doctor and ask about treatments available.